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News & ArtsFriday, February 27, 2009
Religion Recruiting God's Army, Part 2
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 4:46 PM
More people are coming forward to say that the Turning Point Church in Marysville is engaged in more than standard outreach practices to the secular masses. Yesterday, I posted about a mom who says adult “youth leaders” attempted to recruit her 11-year-old daughter, who they met during school hours at a public school, into attending church meetings—without obtaining the mother's consent.
Students' issues with the Turning Point Church aren’t new. More than four years ago, church delegates were on public school campuses during school hours, says one former student.
“People of various ages, [in their] 20s and older, were going around handing out these Bibles and saying that we should all go to Turning Point Church because it’s a cool place to be,” says Nick Poling, 18, who attended Totem Middle School in Marysville a few years ago. “They would give out pamphlets to people that said, you should come to our youth group.” The school has open-air hallways, and the youth leaders would hang out between the buildings. “They were out there waiting for us when we came out for the buses.”
“There were teachers around and it’s not like they tried to stop them,” he says. “Back then, I just was kind of confused as to why the administration would let them do that.”
The state constitution seems clear on the subject: "All schools maintained or supported wholly or in part by the public funds shall be forever free from sectarian control or influence."
But it’s unclear whether the group’s actions are illegal. Doug Honig, a spokesman for the ACLU of Washington, says each intersection of religion and government must be taken on a case-by-case basis. But, he notes, "Separation of religion and government means that public schools cannot sponsor or promote religious activities. People who are invited onto school grounds by school officials are not permitted to proselytize students."
On Wednesday, Totem Middle School—no doubt aware of those concerns—blocked further visits to the school by church members while it conducts an investigation. Turning Point Church continues to communicate on campus with students at Marysville Pilchuck High School, Cedar Crest Middle School, Mountain View High School, and Marysville Middle School, spokespeople for the respective schools confirm.
Some Marysville residents made up their minds long ago. Sam Poling, 20, Nick Poling’s older brother, began making videos last summer that parody Turning Point Church Pastor Mike Villamor, whose YouTube videos the elder Poling calls "creepy.”
Here’s one video of Villamor visiting his six-year-old son at school and goading the boy into praying over a school lunch and confirming his love for Jesus:
In response, Sam Poling made the first of several videos that parody Villamor:
Although Sam Poling calls the video "very tongue-in-cheek, silly," he says an irate member of the congregation came looking for him at the Blockbuster Video where he works. Although Poling wasn't working that night, his fellow employees said the church member wanted "to ‘kick my teeth in’ for ‘making fun of a pastor’” he says.
Rick Ross, a court witness on “destructive religious groups,” runs a national forum on organizations engaged in cultish behavior. The forum has a rich thread dedicated to the Turning Point Church, where former members and others express concern the church is targeting children, trying to persuade them to follow the Turning Point Church without telling their parents. “In my experience, that leads to a breakdown in the family, a conflict between child enthralled with church organization and parent who says that is not my belief,” says Ross. “If Mom and Dad sign off on [a consent form] and then the child comes back and the church puts it on file and work with child with the family’s knowledge, that is fine.”
But, he says, “The idea that any church would try to circumvent parents without notifying [them] in advance is shocking to me because the right of parents to decide the religious affiliation of their children is sacrosanct."
Villamor and other members of the church did not return calls to comment.
I don't attend church but I think if more kids had such a great father figure there would be less confused adult grown men out there.
You could consider Anthropogenic Global Warming as a "theology" and they proselytize it daily in science classes.
Reaction?
From the movie Dogma:
George Carlin (a priest): Get em while they're young!
Chris Rock (an apostle): Like the tobacco companies?
Carlin: Oh! If only we had their numbers!!!
The only thing I would suggest is that instead of the right to "decide the relgious affiliation of their children", maybe the right to "suggest a particular religious affiliation to their children".
eh, i'm not sure i see anything too weird yet. i'm with the ACLU on this one. the group may have gone a bit too far, and they need to be kept in check. otherwise, it seems like pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. at least, from what i remember growing up.
that said, the church could be bat-shit crazy for all i know. i just don't see anything here that indicates that. yet.
However, in that first video, I don't see anything the pastor is doing as wrong or creepy or negative in any way. He's visiting his kid at school and guiding him through his first hot lunch experience--that's awesome parenting, in my opinion. The kid was obviously shy, hence he wanted his dad to pray instead. That's not "goading" him into praying, that's just a 6-year-old being a 6-year-old and not wanting to talk to the camera.
I'm just as anti-religion as the next atheist out there, but I don't think it's good journalism to take stabs at religion just because you don't agree with or practice it. That's what religious freedom is--the freedom for YOU to not practice religion, and the freedom for THEM to practice religion and ask their kids whether they know Jesus loves them and make lighthearted video blogs about what they're doing in their daily lives. If THIS is "creepy," what is Jeffree Star then?
Handing out bibles on secular schools and trying to circumvent others' parenting practices, which children don't have the power to defend themselves against? Definitely not okay. Making youtube videos of what his youth group does, which anyone can choose to watch OR NOT TO WATCH? Definitely okay.
It's good to know there are teenagers and young adults in places like Marysville that have intelligence, wit and an ability to see through born-again bullshit.
Something about the way Villamoor made that video, the way he relished driving around in his top-down jeep and making a video.
It was rather, well, schoolgirlish.
He would not be out of place with a bunch of Abercrombie gay-boys.
Villamor is a fag, people. You heard it here first.
And, the truth will not come out gracefully.
Instead, it will come in a cavalcade of disgrace, as it did with Haggard.
It wasn't for me - which is why I no longer go to church - but it's part of my upbringing, and a pretty positive part, all things considered.
With that said, I cannot begin to fathom why anyone would want to go to a church where the minister makes himself and his family the center of attention, and where the services are apparently as contemplative as the music department at Wal-Mart, but there are many people who enjoy it.
It must be a Protestant thing.
I've seen "Children of the Corn" He's gonna hrlp his daddy turn them all into pod people.
Secondly I don't think the Poling brothers are a very objective source for campus info, if they are aggressivly making fun of the pastor do you think they will give a clear opinion? BAD SOURCE!
3rdly you proudly quote Rick Ross as he says, "the right of parents to decide the religious affiliation of their children" but when Villamor does exactly that you claim he is "goading the boy into praying." That seems like a HUGE double standard. Pick your stance.
Look at the facts and not the twisted picture this journalsit painting.
Most of what can be found out are things they have said ON VIDEO. They feel that their personal property is a glorification of God. Their new home with movie theater (yes that is true), their new car and the wife's new Harley. Their goal is to own Marysville or most of it. He is now investing in other businesses, he has involved the Mayor and the School District Manager and Police Chief into church activities.
Mike had once gone to his elders and told them Jesus spoke to him and proclaimed that the new church needed to be build in 40 days. They put up everything they possibly could beg borrow or steal for that. This told on video by an elder. He believes he is a direct Apostle to Jesus (truth) and he leads an Apistolic Ministry (on video). His sermons are all on line. I have heard them all. He has complete control over his flock and they are afraid to question him for fear of being escorted off the property.
If you really want to know what this church is about, WATCH THESE VIDEOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kvh3YEot…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGk8zEiN8…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIqSIsGxW…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruPx6u03-…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruPx6u03-…
In DOMINIC HOLDEN'S first article she reported that Gail Miller, assistant superintendent of the Marysville School Districkt said
“the Marysville School District called Turning Point Church to tell them they must cease lunchtime visits to Totem Middle School. They can’t proselytize and they cannot solicit individual student’s contact information.”
She also said
“We are doing an investigation because, if [Olver] is correct in that this is what is happening, that is inappropriate. If students ask them questions, they can answer matter-of-factly, but they cannot seek them out.”
But in the Herald article Paster MIKE VILLAMOOR said “We have voluntarily taken all our teens off of the school campuses, just as a statement to the school district and even to the mother, to let people know that we want our interns trained correctly.”
Which is it? Either Gail Miller with the School District is lying or Mike Villamoor is lying, or Dominic Holden is lying.
What's going on?
Anit nothing wrong with a bible!!!! better then handing out drug's !!! or may be you prefer that ???????? more people should read more of the bile.. Then the world would be a better place !!!!!!!!!!
Oh and fuck oama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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